Electrical connection



E. P. ALLABACH ELECTRICAL CONNECTION April 6, 193% Filed April 14,, 1954 I WITNESSES: INVENTOR: M Ear E P fillabach Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,075,794 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Earl P. Allabach, Upper Darby,

Application April 14,

3 Clai'ms.

This invention and has for an object to provide for making connections with a a light, implement, or other current consuming device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connection having improved means whereby the connection may be more'easily and readily effected.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the connection can be made with the inserted plug in any rotary position.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means to enable the user to make the proper connections in the dark or positions of low visibility. A

The invention,

therefore, comprises a socket member of any approved general type having electrical contact members along the sides of the socket, with an electrically connected central pin upstanding axially within the socket, and a plug member having a sleeve insertable into the socket, the sleeve having internal means for making an electrical connection with the pin and external electrical connection for making contact with the contact members at the sides of the socket.

The invention further includesthe use of an insulating washer or guard which when the socket member is not in use covers one of the electrical terminals within the socket to prevent shock if a finger be inserted into the socket.

The drawing illustrates several embodiments of the invention and the views therein are as fol- .ows:

Figure 1 is a substantially diametrical sectional view through the connection,

Figure 2 is an end view of the plug,

Figure 3 is an end view of the socket,

Figure 4 is a substantially diametrical sectional view through a slightly different embodiment of the invention,

Figure 5 is a view partly in diametrical section and partly in elevation of a slightly different modification of the socket member, and I Figure 6 is an end view of the socket member shown at Figure 5. g

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

As usual, the present electrical connection comprises two parts, a socket member A and a plug member B. The socket member A is here represented as provided with a threaded exterior for coaction with an Edison outlet". This socket 55 member is shown merely by way of illustration 1934, Serial No. 720,545

and intended to cover any and all types of socket members, whether fixed in an outlet box or removable therefrom, or otherwise used or seated. As illustrated, the socket member comprises the body part 40 which is, of course, constructed of insulating material of any kind, as ordinarily employed in such work.

A central socket H is formed in this body it a and along the sides of the central socket, contact strips it are positioned, extending as shown, through to the bottom of the body at It and arranged to make proper electrical contact as by union with the threaded shell is.

Preferably, these contact strips I2 adjacent the upper and open end of the socket ii, will be slightly bowed, as shown at 95, the utility of which will hereinafter more fully appear.

Inserted axially through the body it is a pin it which is provided with a head ii for making contact within the usual Edison outlet. Of course, this latter feature will be eliminated in other types of socket members and will be replaced by such other devices, as are well-known in the art. a

For coaction with the part A, the plug B comprises a body part it having a sleeve i9 extending axially therefrom. This sleeve is may, of course, be integral with the plug it or be other-' wise attached. Spaced from the sleeve is by a furrow, as shown at it is a rib it' which engages the socket A. The sleeve is is provided with a circumferential contact band 2%, which at one side is connected to or integral strip 25 which extends The sleeve it has a contact sheil 23 located axially therein, so proportioned as to make frictionai engagement with the pin it.

For this purpose the shell 23 is slitted longitudinally at a number of places, as indicated at M, providing a limited amount of yielding and is preferably also belied at its extremity as indicated at 25.

This shell 23 is continued by a strip 26 which, makes engagement with the binding post 21 The'binding posts 22 and 21 engage, respectively, the wires 28 and 29 which are introduced into the plug through the pettlcoat 30.

A band 39 is shown encircling the sleeve l9, but this is merely a reinforcing band to prevent fracturing of the sleeve which, of course, being made of insulating material, is frangible to a greater or lesser degree.

' As a modification there is shown at Figure 4 a pin it, which is shorter than the pin shown at Figure '1.

This is for the reason of minimizing the danger I clalm:- of contact between that pin and side contacts in 1. An electrical connection comprising a, socket the socket. In this embodiment, also, the conmember having a contact spaced from the axis tact strips, instead of running along the inside 01' the socket, a contact pin axially arranged of the socket throughout, are embedded in the within the socket, a plug member having a sleeve insulating material, as shown at 32, and the adapted to be inserted into the socket with an spring parts 33 are of greater curvature than the annular furrow surrounding the sleeve producing corresponding curves l5 shown at Figure 1. a surrounding annular rib abutting and coincid- Also, at Figure 4, the sleeve here shown as 34 ing with the socket member and with an axial is indicated as formed separate from the plug B. aperture for receiving the pin, a contact mem- It is held in connection with the plug by irlcber within the sleeve, a second contact member.

tional engagement wholly, or by the binding posts external of the sleeve for making engagement 2'! and 22. In other respects the type shown at 'with the first mentioned contact at the side of Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 1. the socket, and conductor connections within the At Figure 5 an insulating washer or follower furrow connected to said contact members.

35 is shown in the socket. This washer 35 is 2. An electrical connection comprisingasocket provided with a plurality of outstanding ears 36. member having a socket therein, a contact pin At Figure 6 the number of ears are indicated as of conductive material upstanding axially within two, but it is to be understood that any number the socket, a. contact strip extending longitudiis within the scope of the present invention. nally of and projected into the socket, means to These ears slide in grooves or guide passages -make circuit connection with the pin and strip, 31 and a spring 38 is located within the socket a plug provided with a sleeve proportioned to ensurrounding the pin l8". ter the socket and having an axial recess, an The washer is provided with a central opening annular rib surrounding and spaced from the 39 adapted to slide over the pin I6" when the sleeve, forming an annular furrow, a contact band sleeve of the plug is inserted. When the plug is about the sleeve positioned intermediate its ends removed the spring 38 tends to move the washer and to engage the inwardly projecting part of the 35 to the outer limit of its movement and to strip of the socket only when the sleeve has been wholly cover and protect the pin l6" so that it forced home, a 'slitted shell within the recess will be difficult to make electrical contact beproperly proportioned and positioned to make tween the spring members 33 and the pin l6". clamping engagement upon the pin, and means All of the parts of the body, of the socket memwithin the furrow to make circuit connections ber, its pin, the plug and its sleeve, being cowith the band and shell. axially arranged, it is obvious that the plug B 3. An electrical connection comprising asocket 35 may be inserted into the socket in any rotary pomember having a cylindrical socket therein with sition. The socket being of considerable size, it radially offset-longitudinally extending slots, an is quite obvious that it will be easy to find the electrical contact member extending longitudinalposition for the sleeve and to make the necessary ly along the inner surface of the socket, a conelectrical connections even in the dark or in ductor upstanding axially within the socket, a positions of low visibility. washer-shaped protector mounted within the nection thereby prolonged. tioned to enter the socket and depress the pro- Of course, the electrical connection described tector and make contact with both the pin and may be modified and changed in various ways the contact member in any rotary position.

forth and hereinafter claimed. EARL P. ALLABACH. 

